BAKU, Azerbaijan, October 27. Middle Corridor stands as a cornerstone of regional integration, Secretary General of the Organization of Turkic States (OTS) Kubanychbek Omuraliyev said in an exclusive interview with Trend.
Omuraliyev pointed out that within the Turkic World Vision 2040, the development of the Middle Corridor is defined as a strategic priority — the shortest and safest route connecting East and West, and a key driver for integrating Turkic countries into global logistics networks.
"In this context, the Middle Corridor stands as a cornerstone of regional integration and economic cooperation. It shortens transit distances by 2,000 kilometers compared to the Northern Corridor and enables goods to reach Europe from China in just 15 days — three times faster than by sea. Realizing the full potential of this route requires close coordination among Turkic states. Through joint infrastructure projects — such as the China-Kyrgyzstan-Uzbekistan railway, a major component of the corridor — member states are significantly improving transit efficiency and expanding capacity to 15 million tons annually. Equally vital to the success of the Middle Corridor is the modernization of customs and logistics processes," he said.
The OTS secretary general noted that Azerbaijan and other member states have been successfully implementing systems such as ePermit (electronic transport permits), eCMR (electronic consignment notes), and eTIR (electronic customs transit system), making international shipments faster, simpler, and more transparent.
"The signing of a regional roadmap for full eTIR implementation at the OTS Heads of Customs Meeting in Baku in January 2025 marked a major milestone in this process, paving the way for more efficient and secure trade flows across the region. Combined with agreements from the 2022 Samarkand Summit on simplified customs corridors and international freight transport, these efforts are strengthening the Middle Corridor, making the Turkic states a model of regional connectivity, efficiency, and resilience," he added.